Mysterio Marvel Future Shock
by Keravin
Summary: Welcome to Montreal and Detroit 2208. Meet Mysterio and Crucible. All these are connected but how?
1. Default Chapter Title

_MONTREAL _

Beetle fell to his knees, blood streaming from his eye. He'd thought the helmet would have shielded him. Jesus, he couldn't think.... The blood was splattered across his visor. He tried to move his hand up to wipe it away, but her blast pierced his hand. This shouldn't be happening. He was an Avenger. Beetle tried to stand, the pain running through him. 

She looked at him smiling, enjoying his pain. Beetle gritted his teeth. "Finish it, bitch." 

The blast shot through his head and he fell at her feet. 

Cyclops liked killing heroes. He was her second. 

### MYSTERIO: MFS Issue 1 of 3

#### TALE OF TWO CITIES

Written by Mark Peyton  
Edited by Jac Milnestein.

_DETROIT, THE OLD REPUBLIC, NIGHT_

Danny was an old hand. When a new kid ended up on the streets they usually ended up under his wing. He was Uncle Danny to most of the kids around Detroit. On the streets someone looked out for Danny though. The hero's name was Crucible. 

Welcome to the United Americas, Avenger's America. Land of the Free as long as you live North of the Wall. Detroit is one of the border towns. No Avenger wants to live here. It had to find its own hero twenty years ago. Meet Crucible. 

Danny pulled his blanket up around him and tried to sleep. The kick woke him up. "Get up, old man," the sneering voice said. Danny shuffled out of the way of the second kick. "Clear out of here now if you want to keep breathing." The old man scrambled to his feet and moved down the street. He knew trouble was coming and watched the skyline. 

The hostile men gathered around and watched across the road. The storefront was opening up ready to receive food supplies. One man took out a pill dispenser from his coat pocket and pressed it to his mouth. His eyes buzzed and his mouth broadened as the pill slipped down his throat. All his senses felt wired as they stood and waited. 

The delivery van arrived as the lights at the entrance flickered falteringly on. The driver and mate got out and made their way to the back. The watchers ran at them brandishing whatever was at hand. 

Then he appeared. The flames licked up his arms as he crouched upon the van top. This was Crucible. From the dark, his eyes glowed red. His breathing was heavy as his armour accentuated the sound. He looked down at the assembled. His voice was deep as he said, "Leave!" 

The boy at the head of the crowd looked up. "That ain't Crucible. Crucible's dead." 

Fire grew around Crucible. "Don't listen to rumours boy, listen to me." 

The first projectile glanced off the red and black armour. Crucible looked down. "Mistake!" 

Danny watched as Crucible descended from the van into their midst. First one flew back, then another as the air brimmed with electricity. Crucible let the fire from his arms grow, swinging them away from the van in an arc. Those still standing dodged backwards, circling him. He brought his right arm and aimed it towards one wired aggressor. A bolt of energy shot into him throwing the- would-be-thief back into some of his compatriots. Crucible looked up once more, his fierce red eyes seemingly examining each one. "Leave!" He said again in that electronic resonating voice. 

This time they ran, leaving those whom had been stunned behind. 

As the streets cleared, Crucible walked to the closest fallen form, the flames from his arms dissipating. He would have to be swift as the scuffle might bring attention. He crouched and reached his gloved fingers inside the man's coat. Inside the armour the beep told him that what he suspected was true. From the inner pocket he pulled the Nitro dispenser, standing and walking away. 

* * *

Beatriz reached over and flipped the switch silencing the monitors. She pushed herself back from the desk, muttering to herself. Her chair wheeled backwards as she said precisely, "Destination 1B." The chair responded and began to wheel itself along the floor slowly as she brought the chair's monitor into view. Looking over the evaluation, she added her own notes to the sides. 

She was not impressed at all. 

Meet Beatriz Sheridan. She was Crucible for twenty years until she met Cyclops one fateful night. Her chosen successor is not endearing himself to her. 

The chair continued to move through the warehouse along its present path as Beatriz brought her fingers to her tired eyes. She should be resting. She was forcibly out of the hero game now. 

Beatriz had been a hero for most of her adult life. Apart from the obvious it had left its scars. No family of friends to speak of. The closest she had come to human relationships was her contacts on the streets. She was nearly forty but the grey streaking her hair and the lines around her eyes made her look much older. 

The chair wheeled into what was close to being an armoury. Alternative suits and parts lined the walls all in the familiar black and red. 

On the control panel of the chair flashed that now all too familiar light. She pursed her lips and ran through her comments. 

Into the room strode the armoured form of Crucible. It still seemed strange to Beatriz to see her design, what had been her very being standing tall in front of her. 

Her brown eyes ran over the silent figure. "I expect you're pleased with yourself." 

Crucible did not answer, but seemed to look like a petulant schoolboy. 

"Your entrance was clumsy. Too long spent on theatrics. The fire control was lacklustre at best... look at me when I'm talking to you." 

The response was a sharp exhalation of air as Crucible removed his helmet. Meet Joshua Macgregor - Crucible. Beatriz refocused her eyes on the swarthy face of the young man inside the armour. He looked back, trying to appear unmoved. 

"You follow my rules in this town. That means paying attention. On your own time you can make your own mistakes. Joshua, do not look at me like that. The only reason you get to play hero is due to me. Do you understand?" 

Joshua breathed out deeply, silently counting. "Yes, ma'am." He knew how much he owed her. A boy so far from the wrong side of the tracks he didn't exist on any formal government records. 

Beatriz nodded slowly. "I expect to see you put in some hours training, instead of gallivanting off tonight." She turned her back on him. 'Let him nail the basics, then he could hear praise.' 

* * *

_MONTREAL: THE NORTHERN STATES. EARLY MORNING._

The early morning mist suited him fine as he bounced off the Wall and pirouetted before jumping so his feet landed firmly onto his new flying disks. The boots locked down and he twisted to check on his security. Breathing in slowly he readied his arms just in case and began to bank between the supports of the road. His cloak hung behind him shifting through its various settings. The steepness of the climb continued until he almost collided with the undercarriage of the road. He twisted and his feet assumed a parallel to the concrete as he hung upside down, his fists clenched in a successful punch of the air. 

Welcome to Montreal, the other side of the Wall. 

Detroit and Montreal are opposite sides of the coin. Where one is downtrodden, the other enjoys the affluence of the North. Whereas Detroit had to find its own hero, Montreal had an Avenger in its midst until three nights ago. Three nights past, Beetle was killed, murdered in cold blood by an unknown. 

Meet the city's new hero. 

Meet Mysterio. 

The city lay before him, its inner island illuminated by the morning sun. From behind his mask he smiled as he guided the disks to ascend. The freedom felt intoxicating as he looked onto the rising tower blocks. He shifted so he flew closer to the buildings, masking his silhouette. Montreal is a city close to the Wall, a staging point in moving from the Northern States into the Old Republic. People do move the other way but it is infrequent. This city never saw many Avengers apart from its resident one; its main 'visitors' were Sentinels enroute for duties in the Southern states. For this reason Montreal never had fewer than 5 Sentinels in its environs. 

Mysterio was extremely wary of meeting a Sentinel. For all his gadgetry, his method of operation relied on stealth and cunning. Not much good in a 'fair' fight with a giant robot. His sensors picked up the telltale energy signature and he descended rapidly. 

The purple monstrosity moved across the sky mocking gravity, heading towards the Wall. Mysterio cowered down in the alleyway, his cloak wrapped around him, its tailends snaking at his feet. There were heroes in this game and there were guys who stayed alive. Being caught by the Avengers or the Sentinels as a vigilante would do no one any good and he didn't intend to waste probably his one chance at taking out a Sentinel without good reason. He intended to be a smart hero and stay alive. 

He breathed in slowly and stood up. There were a few more blocks to go before he reached his destination - the murder site of the Beetle. The disks appeared on his feet and he shot down the narrow passageway over the boxes lined there. 

The killzone was an open area backed by a pair of warehouses. At its centre, the tell tale marking of a kill. The Police cordoned off the area and there was a camera aimed at the focal point. The camera had been replaying the same sequence for a few minutes and it would buy him grace to look around. 

The disks swept in silently and deposited him by the marking. The bloodstain had been removed and a memorial wreath bearing the Avengers' crest was in its place. The removal of the blood had been done as part of Avengers' policy to avoid genetic manipulation of Avengers' stock. Mysterio reached inside his cloak and took out a scanner. The ground showed residue of two laser traces. One was standard Avengers' issue, almost certainly used to remove the blood, while the second was not one he recognised. He recorded its wavelength and frequency onto the scanner for further analysis, then pulled his right forearm from under his cloak. The camera was close to resuming recording. The disks shot in scooping him up as he headed for safety. It was then his sensors picked up a small movement. As he flew out the sensors honed in on a small container rolling, pushed by the wind. A Nitro container. 

* * *

_AVENGERS DATAFILE_

Medical Information on the Class A drug NITRO 

Nitro was first recorded in 2160 as a proposed drug for the United America's military. It became obvious after the first few trials that the drug was a narcotic with obvious side effects. While the initial effect was an increase in body functions, speed and senses, the after-effects were on a par with the cocaine drug which had been almost eradicated during the re-cultivation of the South Americas. The drug was also highly addictive, with the users displaying heightened aggression, the longer they were kept from a supply. 

A copy of the initial research on the drug was stolen in 2170 and Nitro factories have been a target for Government forces ever since. Any suspected cases of Nitro use should be reported immediately. See related file for medical signs of a Nitro user and standard operating procedures for Military personnel. 

* * *

The cloak deactivated as its swirling form reduced to a simple coloured cape hung over his form. He pulled down his hood and unclasped the cloak from around his neck. He placed it into its container as the equipment began to take its readings. The presence of Nitro in the murder of Beetle meant this was out of his league. He would have to ask for help. Meet Joshua Macgregor - Mysterio. Beatriz was not going to be happy being asked to help out on a case in what she considered his sideline. I guess that's what comes with having two hero identities. 

**NEXT ISSUE:**

So Joshua is the hero of two cities separated by the Wall. How exactly? How are the two cities now linked? And who is Cyclops and why is she killing heroes? More questions in part 2: **TOO MANY MASKS?**

* * *

Hello and welcome to issue 1 of Mysterio. Now you may know me from my other work around MFS and at other websites. I'm usually the European Editor for MFS but for the Mysterio Limited Series and oneshots I'll venture into the Avengers America. There's very little chance Mysterio will ever be an ongoing, not because I don't like the characters, but because the type of stories I intend to do are going to be self contained. The reason for that will get explained when I explain why Joshua has two identities. 

Thanks this issue go to Alex Cook aka Biohazard for his thoughts on this issue and to Jericho Vilar for allowing me to play across the Wall. 

Any letters should be sent to LEGERDEMAIN at [starman26@hotmail.com][1]

See you shortly for issue 2 

Mark 

   [1]: mailto:starman26@hotmail.com



	2. Default Chapter Title

_THE WALL_

The wind blew through Captain Nicholas Bradfield's hair as he considered the Sentinels flying past him. Standing in one of the Watchtowers along this portion of the wall he pulled his coat around his body as yet another flight headed into the Old Republic. They would report in soon enough, but now he had to deal with the approaching problem. On his watch an Avenger had died and people would be coming. 

People who wanted answers. 

### MYSTERIO: MFS Issue 2 of 3

#### TOO MANY MASKS?

Written and Created by Mark Peyton  
Edited by Jac Milnestein

_MONTREAL_

The cloak shifted through its myriad of settings. Mysterio crouched and watched the square. Ahead of him was a group of partygoers milling about attracting a fair amount of unwanted attention. It was strange for him to watch people partying, having spent so long on the streets of Detroit. Across the square wandered a slightly weasely man, who was attempting to look inconspicuous. Mysterio focused his eyelenses on the man who headed for the larger of the clusters. A little conversation, then the movement he had been waiting for. At the sight of a Nitro canister appearing Mysterio sped forward on his disks. Some of the crowd scattered as he headed towards his prey, who had begun to sprint for cover. 

Closer and closer he flew, preparing a snare to catch the man, as a figure stepped out ahead of him. He only part registered the woman as his target came closer to being in range. That was a mistake. The first laser beam barely missed him, catching part of the cloak, shorting that segment out. Mysterio banked and reassessed his targets. The laser shot had come from the eyepiece of a red- haired woman. Her eye glowed and another blast streaked towards him. He was getting sick of being used as target practice. From his left gauntlet he produced his own laser weapon, far smaller and designed to be far more theatrical. It slipped into his palm, lining with his forefinger as he headed higher before aiming and firing. 

The redhead dodged easily as her accomplice ran past. Mysterio was very wary of the skies and kept a channel running, scanning for Sentinel transmissions. His adversary ran towards the centre of the square taunting him. "Come on, hero." 

Mysterio fired again at her dancing, somersaulting form. In the back of his mind he was willing himself to run. This was too public. His concentration was thrown when the alarm sounded and he turned his attention away from the woman. `No time to take care of her. The Sentinels are coming.' He reached into his belt for a small round canister. The scanners behind tracked the woman as she fired shots at his retreating form. `The eyes in the back of my head strike again. At least one things gone right.' 

Heading towards safety he switched levels descending down from the upper squares to the pedestrian ways. As a blip came onto his scanner he looked down, searching for another gap to head further down through. Spying one he gripped the container, sliding a switch on it. It started to pulse and as he shot down he threw it into the air behind him. 

A loud crack filled the sky as his audio receptors turned off for a second, tripped by a relay on the container. Behind him the sky was filled with a large cloud of smoke peppered by sparkling dust. To most people it would seem to be a vain attempt at fooling the Sentinel's sensors with smoke. More trickery. 

By the time the smoke had cleared Mysterio was long gone and the Sentinel's had little more than a ghost image of him. 

Far below in the depths of Montreal, a wall slid back into place as the building's owner breathed a huge sigh of relief. He slipped the cloak from his back, making a note to check on the damage before he left. Taking the mask from his face he pressed it into a waiting port for a data download. The routine sorted he concentrated on calming his anxiety, slowing his short sharp breaths. 

`Too close. I almost got caught. Christ, Beatriz is going to go to town on me. So pack up the gear and let Montreal calm down a little. Besides I need to check on Nitro.' 

The download complete Josh pocketed the miniature disk and placed his costume into storage. He strode across the empty shell of the building, keying in an intricate sequence on his wrist panel. Ahead of him formed the components to his secret. The solution to being the heroes of two cities; a teleporter. 

The single occupant tube began to buzz as he stepped into it. The fact that it was a one-destination machine didn't mean most organisations in the world would not kill to get their hands on it. As the bright light washed over him he was struck by visions of what might happen if he ever got caught. 

_DETROIT_

The images that haunted his infrequent sleep stayed with him as he came through the other side. He slid the disk from his pocket and headed towards the computer bay. It was early for Beatriz to be up. They didn't operate on standard time like most normal people. Beatriz had become used to functioning at peak between dusk and dawn most of the time with research and repair being done just before or just after those hours. Now he was different. He was hyperactive; his sleep needs were as little as 2 hours some nights. Of course one day every month or so he just zoned out and slept for a while. It had always been like that since he was a kid scurrying around the Morlock tunnels. 

Seizing the opportunity he placed the disk into the relay and downloaded the information. Two areas that had to be looked at; the woman and the Nitro connection. With the night's events stored he set the machine to run a search on the woman and her style of attack. Turning his back on the main screen for a second, he headed to get a drink entering a less alert frame of mind. That was shattered by the klaxon sounding from the machine and, almost a second later, Beatriz's voice over the tannoy. 

"What the hell is going on, Joshua?" 

"A data search," Josh replied, speaking into an intercom. 

Beatriz's breathing grew a little shallower. "On what?" 

"Someone I encountered last night. Some redhead with a laser eye." 

"Do nothing. I will be right down." 

Josh depressed the intercom. "Of course, sir. Whatever you say, sir. I'll check my brain in at the door." 

Shortly Beatriz appeared, her dressing gown tied around her, the chair moving quickly into the room. From entering the room her gaze never left the face on the screen. 

Josh leaned against the desk to one side. "So who is she?" 

Beatriz was silent for a moment; so long that Josh thought she might actually display some emotion. "She's the reason you are Crucible. That is Cyclops." 

"I'm sorry the name doesn't ring any bells. She wasn't in any of the files or cases I studied." 

"You know damn well that I didn't show you my last case. Don't play dumb with me, Joshua! I may think many things about you, but you are definitely not stupid." 

Josh pushed himself off the side. "So she's..." 

"Yes, she's the one who put me in the chair. Doesn't look much does she?" 

"Why did you never tell me?" 

"Do you admit to all your failures?" Her voice quietened. "I hoped you wouldn't run into her for a while." She paused. "This information came from Montreal didn't it?" 

Josh nodded, placing his arms braced against the desk. "Yes, it's a Mysterio download." 

Beatriz moved her chair closer. "What else did you find?" 

"There seems to be some kind of Nitro connection." 

"But you thought you'd investigate on your own and then tell me?" 

Josh shrugged. "Sort of." 

"I need to run the figures. Go get some rest and I'll call you when I'm ready." 

"But..." 

"No buts. Now Joshua!" 

_LOWER DETROIT_

The dark green lighting gave an eerie feel to the room. She had maintained this room as a place of planning and meditation for almost a decade. Its predecessor had been taken by flame and that night still held its place in her dreams and nightmares. The silence brought with it ideas, drifting down to be contemplated. Expansion was the dream at the moment. A new beginning, a fresh start. But already it was stained with blood. At least it was the enemy's blood, but unfortunately an enemy who would bring attention. She was not one for the spotlight. That she shared with her nemesis. She had thought Crucible dead months ago, but reports were coming in again that the fiery freak was back on the scene. Hurting people wasn't something she planned on. She'd have been much happier to make her dirty money without killing people, but wannabe heroes kept spoiling perfectly good plans. With that in mind she had decided to take out the middleman so to speak and take out the heroes in her way. First of all Crucible, then the new pest who had replaced the Avenger over in Montreal. 

_LATER_

The voice over the tannoy cut through his sleep abruptly. "Joshua, report to the computer bay immediately." 

He pushed himself up from the bed and grabbed a jump suit slung over a nearby chair. Not wanting to get into Beatriz's even worse books he started to pull it on while on the move. 

Beatriz sat in front of the main screen as figures streamed past. She did not make any motion to indicate she had seen Josh enter, but rather started to talk. "There is a definite connection. The container you brought back certainly housed Nitro. I've analysed the Nitro and it has the same chemical signature as those I've recovered from Scorpion dens in the past. That makes the connection almost positive." 

"I take it Nitro has a signature then that varies?" 

Beatriz turned the chair to face him. "It's almost like a DNA strand, but part of it is for batch identification by the producer and partly it's to rub the authorities' noses in it. This is Scorpion's produce. Without that I couldn't be certain that Cyclops wasn't just freelancing in Montreal. If nothing else, Montreal has been free of a major Nitro pusher. Cyclops is there and it's with Scorpion's blessing." 

Josh nodded. "So what do I do?" 

"You take care of this end first. Scorpion is the power here so we go after her. You remember the hideouts from the files?" 

"Of course." 

"Then you check those first. You need a lead on Scorpion." 

"What about Montreal?" 

Beatriz's eyes focused on his face. "Detroit first. Montreal is the sideline. You play by my rules or not at all." 

The silence hung for a moment. "You're the boss." 

* * *

Josh stepped into the Costume chamber. To one side a room had been cleared and some of the Mysterio costumes were hung out like the rows of Crucible ones. He smiled. Nice gesture by the Bitch Queen. He walked along the black and red and reached for a standard suit. Who'd have thought a Morlock boy would end up having a day job being a superhero? 

He pulled on the basic undersuit, strapping it tight. As he dressed he always remembered his roots. He had no great tragedy in his past to push him to be a hero. Just one woman's trust, a body that was hyperactive to the extreme and, if he was being modest, a genius level IQ. Yeah so smart he was playing at being not one, but two heroes. 

The gauntlets slipped on easily and connected with the suit's power supply. He'd come to America with no real clue, just a desire to escape the tunnel city of the Morlocks selling his skills on the way. 

Joshua placed the mask over his face and heard the click as the suit came fully to life. Time to go make some bad guy's life hell. 

* * *

"Head down into the courtyard once you've checked the higher ground," Beatriz's voice said through the earpiece. 

Josh nodded and ran along the rooftop quickly, scanning with his internal sensors as he went. It looked all clear so he descended into the courtyard. The first port of call in investigating the Nitro connection - one of Scorpion's old hideouts. If this paid off then Crucible would be making a reasonably public return through the city. Detroit had been restless after Beatriz had been forced into retirement. He hadn't come along immediately so Detroit had been left hero-less for a while. So people had stopped believing. 

That was the most important reason for him being out here. Not stopping crime, but giving people some hope. Beatriz might not agree, but it was at the core of him being out here day after day. And the reason why Mysterio existed. 

* * *

A sensor tripped and a hive centre sprang into life. The screen operator turned to the other occupant in the room. "He's here." 

The woman replied, "Crucible is not a `he'. It is an `it'. Alert Cyclops and tell her to commence Trap B." 

* * *

The red eyes shone out from the darkness. They weren't needed as the night sight functioned perfectly well without them, but they were there for effect. To unnerve. 

Crucible moved forwards to the next corridor and placed his hand on the corner, directing his fingertips, with the video feed, pointing into the unchecked area. 

Another one clear. This was starting to look like a blow-out. 

He started down the corridor and instinct threw him to the side as the sensors within his suit blinked at the immense heat source coming at him. 

The laser tore into his shoulder through the heat resistant armour and kept going the whole way through, cauterising the wound as it went. Josh screamed in pain and struggled to stay upright. 

As the pain ran through him Beatriz's voice buzzed in his ears. Questions going through his mind, making it harder to focus. He dropped to one knee and pressed back against the wall. Beatriz's questions just kept coming. 

His anger gave him a way through the pain. "For once Beatriz, shut the hell up!" 

"I was telling you to hit the painkillers, but if you want to be the martyr keep going," she replied, her voice becoming cold. 

Braced against the wall as the beam continued blazing away he ran through the costume's systems. He settled on a lower form of painkillers to keep him active and not drugged up to the eyeballs. The sensors kicked in again and this time he dropped to the ground as another laser beam shot over his head. The hive of corridors was beginning to fill with the refracting beams. Into his transmitter he said slowly, "I need an escape route fast." 

"Check your onboard systems to see all of them are still functioning." 

Josh began to crawl as the armour ran through its diagnostics. "It's mostly communication jamming subsystems that got shot out." 

"What about weaponry and protection?" Beatriz asked, the screens in front of her running through various options. 

"Not much shot left with the flame and no protection enough to stand up to this sort of power. Looks like I'll have to be ingenious." 

* * *

The wall blew out leaving a trail of smoke as he pulled his feet out of the way as the lasers streamed past. His arm was still throbbing, but the adrenaline and need to get out had kept him focused. Until now. 

He stumbled towards the exit as he heard footsteps echoing around him. The external microphone still turned off he said into his mouthpiece, "Where's the closest safehouse?" 

"Those are for emergency." 

"This is an emergency. I need to get my breath back and it looks like Scorpion is really after Crucible." 

Beatriz's voice was quiet as she said, "After you, you mean." 

"No, I meant Crucible. This is your war I'm in the middle of." He hugged the wall as silhouettes passed. "Any movement in the rest of Detroit?" 

"Nothing showing up on any wavebands. Why?" 

Crucible darted forward and caught his breath as he reached another hiding place. "Because this smells of a trap to keep me out of the way. What about Montreal?" 

"Montreal is not important at the moment." 

Gritting his teeth he said politely, "It damn well is. You know that this is linked. I'm asking for your help on both counts." 

His earpiece was silent as he darted to another hideyhole and then another. Finally Beatriz's voice came through. "Ok, I might give you the link." 

"Why?" 

"A couple of Sentinels just got taken down in the centre of Montreal and the island is sealing." 

Josh stood up, ignoring the pain, fighting his way through it. "Then give me directions. I need to hit Montreal ASAP." 

In the back of his mind he was sure he could hear his subconscious laughing. Welcome to the fun of having two day jobs. 

* * *

**NEXT ISSUE-**

Mysterio heads for a confrontation with the woman who ended his mentor's time as a hero. A woman who likes to kill superheroes, and he's still injured from escaping the last death-trap. Any move he makes throws Mysterio into the public eye, somewhere he's been desperate to stay out of. Join me for **NITRO SHOWDOWN**. 

* * *

**LEGERDEMAIN**

Look we got a letter. Oh its from Jac *G* 

_Re: Mysterio: MFS #1 _

The first rule of anything should always be that you should avoid letters from your editor...always...:) but seeing as you've just become the editor of "Noir" I thought I might be able to sneak this letter in. 

So onto the subject..."Mysterio" is a unique concept in MFS, one that I find particularly interesting. One man, two identities (not due to an illness either! Wow!). I really like the way you handle the characters in this book. Cyclops seems to be very intriguing, I'm not sure the term 'villain' is appropriate in the same way that I don't think the Avengers can be described as 'heroes'. 

I was quite impressed that Canada is now in MFS as well, even if it is bloody Montreal. 

So tell me, who are the people waiting for the Beatriz cameos? I, for my sins, am going to hold out until I can Mysterio in a guest appearance in my own rather dubious series. As with all things, it will be interesting to see how Mysterio faces the harsh politics of MFS and what kind of friends and enemies he encounters (in either identity). 

I definitely look forwards to seeing more of this. 

Take care. 

La Tristesse Durera, Jac 

I'M GLAD PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENJOYING MYSTERIO. IT'S MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT REAL SUPERHEROES. SPANDEX IF YOU LIKE. JOSH IS NOT A DEEPLY TROUBLED INDIVIDUAL. THOUGH HE MIGHT NOT ADMIT PART OF HAVING THE TWO IDENTITIES IS BECAUSE HE ENJOYS IT SO MUCH. IF ANYTHING HE'S A NON ANGST RIDDEN PETER PARKER. I'VE HAD FEEDBACK OVER ICQ THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT CRUCIBLE AND MYSTERIO WERE HEADING FOR A CONFRONTATION BY THE WAY THE STORY WAS SET-UP. GOOD I'M GLAD THE TWIST WORKED. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT SOMEDAY I MIGHT NOT HAVE A CRUCIBLE/MYSTERIO CLASH IN SOME FORM. 

I'D NOT THOUGHT CYCLOPS COULD BE CONSIDERED ANYTHING OTHER THAN A VILLAINESS, BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING THOUGHT. THEN AGAIN ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS ANYWHERE IS THE SHADE FROM STARMAN AND HE WAS, UNTIL ROBINSON GOT HOLD OF HIM, NOTHING MORE THAN A VILLAIN. 

AS FOR MONTREAL WELL IT AND DETROIT GOT PICKED FOR THEIR MERITS. I'VE NEVER BEEN TO EITHER, BUT I'VE READ UP A LITTLE ON BOTH AND NEXT MONTH'S CONFRONTATION DEFINITELY PLAYS ON THE GEOGRAPHY. 

AND GUEST SPOTS.... WELL JAC'S TALKING ABOUT ONE OF JOSH'S PERSONAS TURNING UP IN SOMETHING HE'S DOING AND ALEX COOK AND I HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING A CAMEO IN SOMETHING HE'S DOING TOO. I JUST HAPPEN TO LIKE BEATRIZ. AS FOR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES WELL THE STORY I HAVE BEEN THINKING OF FOR THE NEXT ONESHOT SHOULD INTRODUCE SOME DEFINITE FRIENDS TO THE SERIES, SOME OF WHOM ARE OLD FRIENDS TO OUR CAST. 

Thanks for the letter and it's nice to see Jac's reading something 8). I'm just waiting for Jac's next piece for the MFS and the history it should throw up. 

Any email or comments to [Starman26@hotmail.com][1]

   [1]: mailto:Starman26@hotmail.com



	3. Default Chapter Title

Clutching his arm Josh walked into the secret entrance to Beatriz's warehouse base. The Crucible costume had been stored at an outlying safehouse and, having hurriedly bandaged up his arm, Josh made his way back as fast as he could. 

Beatriz was waiting for him as he entered. "Let me have a look at your shoulder," she demanded. 

"Can we do this on the move? I have to teleport." 

"Now he develops stubbornness. If that wound isn't properly taken care of you will be no use in Montreal." 

Josh looked at her, then nodded. "You going to be watching my back while I'm out there?" 

"If you've designed the suit properly," Beatriz replied. 

"You're a loss to the diplomatic corp." 

### MYSTERIO: MFS Issue 3 (of 3)

#### NITRO SHOWDOWN

Written and created by Mark Peyton  
Edited by Jac Milnestein

Montreal thought it was going to wake up to a nice peaceful day. North of the Wall trouble just isn't allowed to happen. Any serious trouble in the Avengers backyard and certain dissidents would gain voice. 

The city is dominated by Mount Royal still and the upwardly mobile enjoy its ports far from the ocean. At its heart Montreal is an island. 

The news reports were sketchy at what exactly happened after the first one went down. All that was known for certain was two Sentinels had been shot down as Montreal's island became sealed off. The Avengers simply weren't ready for any trouble in one of its Northern cities. 

* * *

The humming had kept going for minutes after the transfer stopped. "Joshua, are you ok?" Beatriz asked. 

"Just a little shock," Josh said using the walls to ease him down. "I'll get through. I have to." 

He moved slowly towards the door, holding on to the wall. "If you collapse out there you'll get yourself killed." 

"It's a little late to get matronly, Beatriz. I'll be fine once I suit up. Just have to be careful." The costume chamber door begun to open as it recognised his signature. 

Minutes later Mysterio stepped out, adjusting his gloves. He flexed his fingers and using one of his hand muscles summoned the disks through the glove control. Stepping onto the disks, he started to ride down the hallway. His internal readout began to display images from around Montreal and as he watched he silently mouthed obscenities. 

* * *

_MONTREAL  
EARLIER_

"And so with one of our very own citizens in the running for a spot in the New Warriors for the next session, Montreal waits to see if the young hopeful will follow in the footsteps of Solo." 

The news report panned for what would end up as a stock Montreal scene as a Sentinel flew into focus. It appeared to stop and hover, one of its giant arms raising as a large energy blast swept up from the island centre. The Sentinel rocked and was then hit again. As the camera focused, eruptions ripped through the purple watcher. Its shell started to lurch in the sky as gravity grabbed it dragging it down. The Sentinel fell to the earth as the newsfeed went dead. 

_MONTREAL  
NOW_

That had all been an hour ago and another Sentinel had been shot down since then. The Avengers seemed distracted by an incident in Chicago [see Avengers America - An American Manifesto - Mark] so only Montreal's assigned forces were available. And stretched to their limit. Mysterio glided slowly, but surely through their perimeters as the officers discussed various strategies, all designed to save their jobs. The Flag's attention hadn't yet turned to Montreal yet, but when it did there would be hell to pay. 

As he approached, Josh ran through the access points onto the island from his files. One of the first things Beatriz had taught him in Detroit was to know the lay of the land. If you were going against a home team, then they'd know it, if an away player, then you'd have an advantage. Either way not a disadvantage. Since putting on the Mysterio suit he'd been learning Montreal. The Mysterio suit was not designed to be directly offensive or to take sustained punishment. He had to be smart and to make the best use of his surroundings. Today was a day he didn't intend being hit especially. 

The Avengers and their adversaries had set up perimeters at those few roadways left undamaged when the whole crisis started. Josh hovered down by one of the far concrete watersides, watching the perimeter. He didn't know why the troops weren't advancing. There seemed to be only a limited number of bad guys. As his sensors ran through the panorama he settled on the reason. 

Near to one of the remaining bridges in there stood a tall redbrick building. His costume had managed to hook a passable connection to one of its internal cameras. In the main lobby were huddled a large crowd of what he took to be civilians, ringed by explosives. Tricky, he thought and began to skim across the water. His cloak shimmered about him as he crouched down, gathering it around. As he got closer to the river the cloak began to mask him, blending in with the water. He reached the other side and stole over the railing. 

He landed softly and allowed the cloak to resume its normal appearance - the dark green shifting through a variety of settings in length. This stretch had been clear of the perimeter guards and he quickly ran towards cover. The disks maintained their position above the water waiting for their command. Josh switched off his external mike and brought down his mouthpiece. "Beatriz, you get all the relay?" 

"I can see that you've at least paid attention to some of my lessons." 

Mysterio ran through the now deserted office building, past scattered chairs. "I take it my first priority should be to disable the bombs and throw off their bargaining chip." 

"That would be sensible. I would presume that the reason no action has been taken is that the Avengers cannot locate which person has the detonator." 

The cloaked vigilante crouched by a glass door looking out onto the square in front of him. "That's if we're assuming only one person has such a detonator. There's no way of taking out all of the likely candidates before one of them gets wind of what I'm up to. Therefore I'm going after the bombs. Besides that's technology and I can do technology." 

Beatriz's voice spoke softly into his earpiece, "That would appear to be the best course of action. How is your shoulder?" 

"Still throbbing, but...." Mysterio opened the door quickly and ran across the square, vaulting the benches and depositing himself on a first floor balcony. ".... the adrenaline is helping a lot. I have something else to focus on. Keep an eye on my sensors in case I miss anything." 

He swept through the affluent apartment, concerned not with the decor, but searching for something to aid him. He grabbed at a number of electrical devices and placed them within compartments in his inner cloak. The opposite end of the building meant he was only two streets away from the Redbrick building. In the most heavily guarded area on the island. He turned and ran to the centre of the building, bounding up the stairwells towards the roof. As he hit the 12th floor he stopped dead as he caught the sound of someone breathing. Bracing himself to the wall he tried to isolate the sound. It wasn't just one person breathing, there were two. Then he heard the laugh. It was a taunting hollow sound. "Beatriz, I'm sorry I have to go help." 

"Was I criticising?" 

Josh smiled and moved along the corridor towards the sound. He switched one of his lenses to give him heat patterns and saw a man standing over another person on the floor. The lenses shifted back as he reached the doorway and went through. The man had taken his shirt off and was stroking a gun to the woman's head. The woman was obviously in a great deal of distress as tears ran down her face. Mysterio brought his glove up and, as the man wheeled around, fired a taser line into him. The man stumbled back a bit until Josh sent the voltage pumping through. The air crackled with electricity as the man's body became rigid and the shock ran through him then slumped to the ground. Mysterio walked over, trying to not disturb or frighten the woman. Well, as much as you could dressed as in a costume. He knelt by the unconscious man, checking his pulse, then unhooked the taser line and fed it back into his glove. Looking over at the woman he asked, "Are you ok?" twice, the first forgetting to activate the external feed. 

She nodded gathering her arms around her, her eyes looking at his mask. Josh rolled the man over and tied his arms together, before dragging him to a heating unit and tying him to that. The woman made no sound but kept her eyes fixed on him questioningly. "Will you be ok?" he asked. 

She nodded again as Beatriz said into his earpiece, "Leave her, she's in shock and a male figure like you isn't helping a lot. You've done what you can, but you're not here to counsel her." Josh grimaced and turned heading back for the stairwell. He might not be able to do anything now, but he could try later. 

The rooftop was clear, but as he slipped onto it, it became clear the opposite was not. A group of four men and women stood armed and arguing. One peered over the edge and looked down as Mysterio moved to his rooftops edge and crouched. He cycled through his onboard systems looking for a suitable weapon. One capable of taking down the four quickly and quietly. In the end he reached into one of his cloak pockets and withdrew a small handsized pistol. Glancing over the edge again, eyepiece marked their positions. He began to load the pistols two shots and palmed the remaining shots, then rose slightly and shot at the two not arguing. The man and woman tensed then started to fall as Mysterio scrambled to load the remaining shots. One went into the chamber as the second caught and fell to the floor. Mysterio rose up and fired at the closer of the two still standing. This man fell leaving his female counterpart raising her gun and starting to aim towards him. Josh swore under his breath as he fired his swing line at her gun. The hook leapt across the gap between the buildings and knocked the weapon from her hands. That dealt with that immediate problem, but not the real danger of Cyclops being alerted. 

As the hook hit the other side of the far rooftop and latched on, like it was programmed to when making contact, Mysterio began to run to propel himself across the gap. He pressed the recoil button on the swingline and was brought crashing down onto the woman's rooftop, but in a state of disarray as his line had become tangled. She charged at him, adopting a fighting stance as Mysterio dropped down and with his hands braced against the roof kicked out at the woman. The blow struck firmly and helped push him into an upright position to the left of her. There was no time to be pretty and he hit her hard putting her down. 

"Pitiful," was Beatriz's response. 

* * *

He dropped through the now open window and slipped in. His eyes switched to infrared and he began to make his way to the balcony overlooking the prisoners. One guard was dispatched, then another as Mysterio headed towards the main concentration of bombs. He considered them intently, and began to follow the lines towards the detonator switch. Below him he could hear the hushed murmuring of the frightened captives. As he continued to follow the line along, a red light flashed at the corner of his eye and he dived for the ground. Coming out of one of the doors leading to the overhang was a man whose laser sight had alerted Mysterio. Josh wheeled quickly and leapt at the man and with his elbow sent the man flying back into the door. He grabbed for the gun in case it discharged and ended up being lucky. The man roused a little and Josh brought the gunbutt down into his face. 

In his ear Beatriz gave a running commentary on his actions. "Your actions are slow, your reflexes appalling. You could have taken him down in a number of different ways without risking the gun discharging. When you return you are definitely going through combat exercises." 

Josh snarled. "Beatriz, just shut up. You aren't helping. I can just about stand and I'm trying to think how to disarm these bombs. I'm in the field here not you." He slung the gun through the open door and ran along the wires. 

* * *

Cyclops looked out from the makeshift headquarters they had set up in a newsfeed providers office. The Avengers troops present continued to ring the bridges off with a smattering of air sorties buzzing the island. She checked in with the work group and made certain work was continuing. As soon as night hit they were withdrawing, getting out while the hostages distracted the troopers. From behind her a voice shouted her name. "What is it," she demanded of the man, one of Scorpion's better henchmen. 

"We've lost the signal slightly from the explosives." 

"How do you mean?" she demanded. 

"The signal shorted out for about a second. I can't explain it." 

"Well, let's go explain it. I'm not having our escape plan screwed up by your incompetence. My neck is on the line here so we will not be making mistakes. Understood?" 

"Perfectly, ma'am." 

Leaving an old friend from the streets in charge Cyclops led a group of six across to the hostage building. From the outside nothing appeared to be amiss in the red brick. Cyclops was about to throw open the door when two of her group dropped to their knees, mouths wide open. In the back of their necks jutted out a pair of darts. She whirled and scanned for the attacker. There sat on a balcony edge was the green and red attacker from the Nitro sell. His cloak billowed around him, not quite looking real, though it flowed almost right. Now she could see him in the daytime she could tell the cloak was part hologram. 

She wasted no time and began to blast at him with her eyepiece. He dodged fairly quickly, but he wasn't moving as fast as he had before. Her henchmen brought their guns to aim and started to blast around him, some piercing the image of the cloak. 

Josh was dodging as well as he could. He'd set up another dartgun, fully loaded, across the square. He wanted to keep moving. The more they were distracted the less they'd think about the bombs. He didn't want his surprise activated yet. That was his getaway and the way of protecting the hostages. He might be a lousy fighter, but technology he knew. He could feel the heat of Cyclops' blasts even through his suits insulation. She was good, well he should have known that. She had after all taken down Beatriz. 

As he jumped and rolled, narrowly missing another stream of shots, his hand flexed and the disks began to follow their call. Looking ahead he saw another group of Cyclops' men rounding the corner. `Damn,' he thought. `Whatever happened to one on one.' 

Through his earpiece Beatrizs voice spoke calmly. "Start using some of your smoke bombs. You're thinking too much like Crucible. You have a different game to play out there. " Josh smiled and for once obeyed orders. 

The smoke bombs hit the ground in a dispersed pattern and began to spew forth a variety of colours. As red, black and green smoke filled the air Mysterio started to cement his control. Through the thick mist he began to take part the initiative. His hood fell forward as he swept amongst the thugs, overpowering them amongst the smoke. As each one went down he felt his adrenaline rising, his breathing quickening as the rush hit him. 

Then the laser did. 

He span as the blast struck him and in his earpiece heard Beatriz shout out in shock. He fell back and tried to focus. The fall saved him from the next shot. As he felt the pain his mind cleared. `I've been dealing with the lackeys. Not any more.' If he'd been thinking straight he'd have realised quite how much he was in pain. 

Thinking straight would come later. 

He rolled to the side and started to try and flank her. Cyclops moved slowly through the smoke, her red eye gleaming as its sight past through the mixture of colours. Her lock had been lost and now she searched for another shot. Another kill for her collection. "Come here freak," she whispered under her breath. 

"Here like this you mean, bitch?" Mysterio swooped down from on high, covering her vision with his cloak unfurled. His kick landed squarely in her face, aimed directly at her eyepiece. She tried a shot, but only met thin air. 

Another kick struck her legs as they came out from under her and more blows this time to her ribs. "No Mr Nice guy now, bitch." She tried to jump back to her feet, but met the returning flying disks. The impact flung her back more, knocking the wind from her. As she roused once more she heard the sound of glass breaking. Not nice when they fight back. She tried to fire, but the glass was cracked. Lashing out she caught Mysterio squarely in the shoulder and heard an audible grimace. Now if she'd thought about she'd have remembered she'd hit him in the other arm. 

Thinking straight would come later. 

Mysterio fell back clutching at his arm. It had all been going so well. He scrambled back to give himself some breathing room. The smoke was beginning to clear as he looked at Cyclops, stood beckoning him, goading him, blood pouring down her face. "Come on boy. I haven't killed a hero today." 

As they circled each other, Josh began to unravel the taser line in his hand slowly, careful not to make any sudden movement. "Come on then, psycho." He went for her as she brought a blow into his head. The hood cushioned some of it, but his head was knocked hard. His response came at the same time as he jammed the taser line into her arm and let it hit full blast. As his head rang and the static electricity in the air skyrocketed, Cyclops stood, bolt upright as the volts passed through her. He looked into her eyes and tried to find some pity. 

* * *

As the first Avengers trooper strode onto the island, Mysterio pressed the detonator. From the redbrick an eruption of smoke came forth as the bombs discharged their new role. Inside the guards and hostages were met by a thick mist of knockout gas as Mysterios little jury-rig sprang into life. It had been the only thing he could think of to take down a number of people quickly, and a mass of unconscious forms would keep the Avengers busy in the short term as they tried to discover whether they had a mass of dead bodies on their hands. 

Mysterio began his walk towards his discarded flying disks slowly, carrying the bound and unconscious form of Cyclops in his arms. The sirens blared behind him and he was hoping that the smoke would cover his retreat. He had no desire to face either the media's or the Avengers spotlight. 

It was not to be. 

"Freeze," the voice said calmly. Josh looked over to see a group of troopers all levelling their guns at him. He stopped, too tired and too encumbered to react quickly. "Put the woman down and walk away." Josh paused to consider this, but if he obeyed then he'd at least have his arms free to act. He placed her body down on the floor and stepped back, then stopped and waited. 

"What the hell are you waiting for?" The officer asked. Josh looked at him quizzically from behind the mask. " I meant walk away. We only need to deliver her. We saw what you did now get away before the staff force us after you." Josh finally understood what was on offer and nodded slowly. He was glad he'd disconnected the feed back to Beatriz. She could harangue him later. 

He pulled his cloak close about him, took one last look at Cyclops, nodded to the officer and disappeared. Things had gotten too hot. Mysterio would have to be left to cool off. Back to the day job then. 

* * *

The Avenger looked across at the screens and pressed the control, freezing the frame. "I want all footage of this incident pulled and classified. You'll arrange for an interview with the detainee in the morning, providing she can talk. Have a drugs team on hand in case she proves reticent. I understand you've already been told the spin to feed on the incident?" 

Captain Bradfield nodded. "Yes sir. The approved report was fed to all the broadcasters and I'd already taken the step to pull the footage as soon as I arrived in Montreal." 

"Good, good. This whole incident could have been very damaging to our credibility, but I can see the opportunities it presents, even if others cannot. Any luck in tracing the hero?" 

"Not yet, sir." My resources have been focused on containing the situation. " I'll get onto it right away or would you prefer a local commander so I can return to my normal duties?" 

The purple clad man paused. " `I'll assign some of my agents to the task. You've done well, Nicholas. I'll see the report reflects it as long as it fits my purpose. Do we understand each other?" 

Bradfield nodded again, careful not to look into the man's eyes. " I understand sir. The best way for me to make the situation more to your liking is to go back to the Wall. I'm sure no one will notice if you put your own men in." 

The Avenger smiled. "That almost had a touch of insolence, Nicholas, but you're smarter than that. Dismissed." 

"Yes sir." Bradfield turned and walked from the room quickly, glad to be out of that conversation. 

Behind him he left the Avenger known as Hawkeye holding two photos to the light, studying them intently. One was of Cyclops, all battered and beaten, the other a still of Mysterio gliding into the fight. "Such possibilities for a little war," he said, smiling to himself. 

* * *

**NEXT ISSUE **- Well sorry that's the end of this Limited series. Mysterio, Crucible, Beatriz and Josh will return at some point in the future. A couple of people have asked about having them cameo in various places, but an actual Mysterio story depends on me getting the time to sit down and write it. I have at least two more oneshots/limited series thought out so we will be coming back. 

Josh's role as Mysterio fits this and we'll see the times when he is operating as Mysterio. Crucible is his full time job, Mysterio is the added danger in the midst of the Northern States which is the Avengers heartland. 

Thanks this time go to Jac Milnestein (Mysterio's major fan), Alex Cook (for the New Warriors who have provided me with an American pop culture), and Alex Peyton (for helping me create Solo, who should be appearing in a special story over in Thunderbolts). 

If you enjoyed the story let me know. It has been one of the most fun I've had writing as the characters and story are pretty different to the type I usually think I write. Depending on time and other projects I have to do before the New Year we may be back in Montreal and Detroit this year or after March next. 

Any email or comments to LEGERDEMAIN at [Starman26@hotmail.com][1]

   [1]: mailto:Starman26@hotmail.com



End file.
